This recipe was inspired by my imagination – and my fridge contents had something to do with it too. I have been meaning to make some form of dumplings for months now. The idea of making dumplings takes me back some years ago to when I was a young girl, and when I used to share dinner with my dear American friends whose mothers always made dumplings that were so good. Till this day I cannot forget them. Sadly they were chicken dumplings – but I was only ten, so I didn’t quite know the difference between chicken and vegetarian, etc.

Anyway, enough of that for now. Here is the result of a hunger for my past childhood days, brought forward by a strong urge to bring the past into the present with a vegan-vengeance. And you know what ? Where there is a will, there is a way ! Enjoy these, as they are wonderous ! My 4 year old fussy-eating daughter adored them. ‘More, more, mummy’ were her exact words – music to my ears of course. Now, if you are wondering what to eat with them, then it has to be hot sweetcorn. And if you feel that naughty, ‘crunchy potatoes’ or crunchy garlic bread. Man, oh man – this is fun !!!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DUMPLINGS

4 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp brown rice flour

1 tbsp ground almonds

a handful of roughly chopped flat leaf parsley

1 heaped tbsp vegan pesto

salt to taste

3 tbsp olive oil (a little more if required)

1 cup veggie mince – either soya, or a vegan burger that has been broken down (I use Linda McCartney Veggiemince myself)

1 cup grated vegan cheese

1 tsp fast acting yeast

METHOD

Place the parsley and nuts in a food processor, and process until broken down into very small crumb-sized bits. Next, add the other dry ingredients, and process for a few seconds. Now add the vegan cheese, the vegan mince and the pesto, and process for a few more seconds on a slow speed. Add the olive oil, and keep on doing so until the mixture forms into a ball in your machine. At this point you are ready to start shaping your dough into dumplings.

Take the dough out, let it rest for 15 minutes, then roll it into around 8 balls on a floured surface. Dust with more flour, then fry them for a few minutes until a little golden. Then remove from frying pan, and set aside in readiness for the sauce.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MUSHROOM & VEGGIE SAUCE

olive oil

2 chopped carrots

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 cups of mixed porcini mushrooms (I use the frozen ones)

1 small red pepper, roughly chopped

8 cherry tomatoes (optional)

1 tsp paprika

1 cup vegan cream of your choice (I used Provamel)

1 cup mushroom or veggie stock of your choice

sea salt to taste (you will need this)

1 tbsp fresh oregano or marjoram (use 1 tsp of dried if you don’t have fresh)

METHOD

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick saucepan, and add the onion and carrots. Fry until they get a little colour, then add the garlic and stir everything around on a low heat at this point. Next, add the mushrooms and allow them to cook for 10 minutes or so. Then add the red peppers and cherry tomatoes, and leave to simmer gently for a further 10 minutes, adding a little stock just so as to prevent sticking. Then add a little more stock after a few minutes, making sure that your carrots have begun to soften. If they haven’t, give it some more time, and add a little more water to soften them, leaving the mixture to simmer gently.

Once your carrot is soft, add the dumplings and stir gently. Now cover, and allow to cook for a couple more minutes, and then stir in the vegan cream. Add the salt and a little pepper if you wish, cover and allow to cook for a further 10 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, use a little more water, but bear in mind that it should have thickened slightly.

Serve with any green of your choice – together with hot sweetcorn if you wish, and crunchy garlic bread or very ‘naughty but nice’ roasted, crunchy potatoes.

This looks yummy! I have a silly question, though. Does this recipe taste very “mushroom-y”? I like mushrooms some but not when they are the domniate flavor in a dish. I’m thinking if I use a veggie stock and not a mushroom stock, that would help a lot. Any thought? Thanks!

Cheyenne Hi there and welcome to my site. I am glad that like myself, you too love dumplings – these are seriously full of flavour and I do hope you enjoy them, and let me know the outcome when you have tasted them (as and when). Look forward to your future comments on my blog. Cheers to you !.

Nom! These are seriously good! I had to amend the recipe as my partner detests mushrooms (sob!). I just beefed up the other ingredients and used a really good quality stock. I also had some leeks in the fridge, so threw a handful in the sauce too. Had with boiled new potatoes and ended with staggeringly empty plates (the pattern almost came off in an attempt to get all the sauce up!).

Sarah Hi there and welcome to my site. Glad to hear that you tried these and they were (from what you have described) thoroughly enjoyed. I was very amused to hear about your swap for mushrooms with leeks and ‘beefing’ up the other ingredients, sounds good to me – next time cook some lovely mushrooms separate by frying them in a little olive oil, then serve your husband as per last time, and in your case (and any other visitors) pour in the mushrooms in some sauce taken aside in a separate saucepan, heat up and pour onto the delicious dumplings ! Look forward to your future comments too ! Best !.

Haha – I think ‘beefing up’ is a very British terms and rather ironic in terms of vegan cooking! Basically padding it out more…

This isn’t my first post on your site (I commented on the chocolate cake and the red curry last week). I thought I’d better add the JP after my first name as I’ve realise there are other Sarah’s posting on here!

I can’t get enough of leeks, and they (almost) made up for the lack of mushrooms. I can’t remember seeing them much when I lived in the USA though?

You’re right about the (in this context) British term ‘beefing up’ but we understand each other and that’s what counts ! Thanks for your initials, you’re right, it’s easy to get confused with other Sarah’s postings. Like you I love leeks too, and use them as often as I find them, they are so versatile, and I use them a great deal in soups, stews, Quiches and as an accompaniment – steamed that is to almost any meal, especially when I don’t much feel like a salad – it’s also pretty much a seasonal thing.
Cheers to you Sarah !

I made these last night. The dumplings were absolutley delicious, and all dissapeared! I served the dish over angel hair pasta. I will be making these again; the next time I am going to try to make a vegan stroganoff dish with these, if I can track down a good replacement for sour cream. Thank you so much Miriam!

Laurel Hi there and welcome here. Sounds very interesting how you served these with angel hair pasta, yum ! Sour cream replacement, buy any vegan cream, mix in a little lemon juice and a tiny amount of salt – always taste in order that you make it according to your own taste. I have a wonderful Stroganoff that I make, and I should post it up in a few weeks time. Come by again Laurel, it’s good to have your feedback. Meantime, Happy New Year 2012 !

these look fabulous, despite the mushroom sauce – I don’t particularly like mushrooms, but my (omnivore, but vegan at home) husband does, so maybe I ought to do him this favour. I loooove your blog, which I recently discovered through another vegan friend. Did I read one of your facebook posts correctly and are you planning on bringing out a cookbook? (I am addicted to good food and to cookbooks..)

these look fantastic!!! I love the idea of using this for a stroganoff recipe…I’ve been on a mad search for a great vegan stroganoff!! Thanks for the tip on vegan sour cream. I have some left over almond flour (which based on the ingredients list is just ground up almonds) would that work?

These sound wonderful, a question, is the veg mince necessary, I admit I haven’t tried it, and have steered away from meat substitutes, am willing to give it a go…just wondering if I can do without it….Cheers will buy the goods on Friday and try it out on my days off, am hanging out for a good nosh up.
As usual your recipes are just so creative and inviting.

Hi there vicki and thanks for dropping by with your comment. Regarding the vegan mince, well it is necessary in as much as it creates texture – this is vegan and cruelty free as you well know – the alternative would be to use crushed pecan nuts, but am not 100% sure if they will ‘hold’ their own – worth a try if you wish, bind them with a little flour and water if so. Meantime, enjoy cooking and let me have your feedback as and when. Cheers to you Vicki.

Pamela Hi there and welcome here – thanks for dropping off your comment. Firstly this is the stroganoff recipe of mine http://mouthwateringvegan.com/2012/01/22/stroganoff-supreme/ 2nd of all for soured cream I would use soya cream with a few drops of lemon juice and some very finely chopped flat leaf parsley and a sprinkle of salt. With the almond flour, I cannot say for certain since I have not tried it myself. Let me know how it all goes as and when – thanks and cheers to you Pamela.

Mirjam Hi there and welcome to my site – thanks for dropping by here with your wonderful comment. I think this recipe will be a great one to make for your husband, make sure you have a great accompaniment to go with it – here are a few suggestions from my own blog – 1. my Cornbread, it’s addictive. 2. My Curried Potatoes or my Crunchy Potatoes (you will find the recipe for those from my ‘The Perfect Roast’ (you will see this on my home page presently, go to the recipe and scroll down, the recipe for the potatoes on that page is sublime and quick and easy to prepare with maximum flavour. Meantime, you heard correctly Myriam, I am indeed having my book published in the forthcoming months – there has been much enthusiasm to that end and I am compiling a list of names for those that are interested – let me know if you would like to have your name listed so that I would notify you closer to the time (the book is going to be highly pictorial, lots of pics to see of the recipes). Best to you and look forward to your future comments on my blog.

hi miriam – me again: yes, do add me to the list of cookbook-‘interessees’, please! – Haven’t made this dish in the meantime yet, due to lack of readymade green pesto (we recently moved to Sweden, and I have yet to find out where I can buy such (I somehow don’t dare making my own anymore, after one failed attempt years ago….). Will make the chocolate cheesecake, however, this afternoon (birthday boy in the house, tomorrow), and am very much looking forward to it.

Mirjam Hi again and many thanks for your comment – I shall take note of your name right away for purchasing my book – it will be some months, so hang in there and enjoy my recipes in the meantime. Let me know how the cheesecake goes and please allow to refrigerate overnight if you can. Best to you !

I can almost hear the saucepan simmering away and the aroma reaching me from the kitchen!
Miriam this so looks and sounds like my kind of meal, especially today being chilly.
I will report back when I have made this seducing meal.

Hi Phil and thanks so much for dropping by with your wonderful comment. It certainly is a great one to have when it’s cold out there – I love the carbs I must say, so it’s my kind of meal too. Make sure you keep your eyes open for some great mushrooms, porcini, a mixture will just make this dish rock. Yes, I look forward to your comment on it as and when. Keep warm and very best to you !

Hi Miriam! I’m going to try and make this next week as I’ve been eyeing it off for ages – it just looks amazing! So I want to try using nut meat as the mince and make my own cashew cream rather than use soy – do you think that would work? Thanks and keep up the amazing recipes!

Jenna Hi there and thanks for dropping by here. In answer to your questions “yes” to both. Let me know how it goes as and when. Remember to make your cashew cream a little runny as it thickens when cooked I find. Best wishes your way !

Hi Miriam! So I ended up making this tonight with nutmeat and rice cream. I haven’t eaten it yet, just had a taste as I’m freezing meals for next week but it tastes great! Unfortunately my dumplings fell apart quite a lot so it’s very mushy and doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing like yours – but who cares! Only downside is the calories for me – but I’m well aware your recipes are mouth watering – not low calorie!!! It will be a nice treat

Hi there again Jenna, thanks for dropping by here with your comment. I am glad you like the taste of this dish. Regarding the calories, well eating healthily as things here are all plant based makes it easy to digest. Some low calorie foods can take longer to digest and would not be as healthy as some vegan alternatives, but I suspect you already know this. Meantime, look out for some of the dishes on my homepage which are easy to make and raw – also my soups are not high in fat. As a nutritionist myself I often advise people to eat healthily, don’t overdo the sweets, breads or carbs in terms of portions, get a little exercise every day and health will become a part of the reward – I am hoping that the taste of my dishes adds a bit more to that in order to remove any sacrifice. In addition it’s also a huge benefit I feel when we enjoy a dish and we know it’s also cruelty-free. A win-win. Enjoy ! Best wishes you you Jenna !

I tried this last weekend and it was a hit! I had picked some chanterelle mushrooms so that is what I used. I thought it was good but my husband thought it would be better with porcini. Perhaps. I don’t like buying “fake meat” so I used lentils instead of the mince and it worked great

Helga Hi there and welcome here. I am delighted that you have made and enjoyed this dish. Porcini would give it a deeper and richer taste. As for the lentils, I am sure that they worked very well. I look forward to your future comments on my blog ! Best wishes your way in the meantime !

Hi there Diane and thanks for dropping by here with your comment and for pre-ordering my book, that is so kind of you ! It will be out on the 18th of June but will be worth the wait truly. Meantime, enjoy the recipes from my blog and come back with your comments. Best wishes your way !

Elysia Hi there try Marigold Engivita brand, just google it and it is definitely sold in the UK – fast acting yeast is totally different and the only thing they share in common is the name that unfortunately causes much confusion amongst many new vegans. Hope this helps !